Official site of Inspirational Author Carrie Turansky

Tag Archives: Across the Blue

Hi Friends, Only about one month until the February 20th release of Across the Blue! I’m very excited to share this new story with you, and I thought you might enjoy seeing what was involved in creating the beautiful cover.

In December 2016 I filled out an author questionnaire and sent cover ideas to the team at WaterBrook. At that time I’d only written about 1/3 of the book! I created a Pinterest board for my book and saved images of the setting, characters, and clothing. These images helped me picture the story as I was writing, and they were a great resource for the cover design team.

In April 2017 Kristopher Orr, the designer at WaterBrook who has created all my lovely covers, started corresponding with me via email. We wanted the cover to truly reflect the time period and the story, and that takes time and research as well as great design skills. They planned to rent a costume for the photo shoot, so they showed me these three outfits and asked me which one I thought would look the best. I chose the ivory suit in the middle. The story takes place in the spring and summer, so the light color and Edwardian style looked like something Bella Grayson would wear.

We needed a different hat than the one pictured, so we contacted our friend Darna as East Angel Harbor Hats. She has designed special hats for my last three book cover shoots. And once again, she rose to the challenge in record time and sent us this lovely hat.

Sophia Alessi, from the Donna Baldwin Agency, was chosen as the model for the photo shoot, and she did a great job portraying Bella!

A few more months passed, and I eagerly waited to see the final cover design. They sent me these four mock ups and asked for my input. I liked them all, but I felt the fourth design was the strongest. The color, the type, and the photos all worked together to create a stunning design. The team at WaterBrook agreed, and they moved ahead to finalize the cover for Across the Blue.

Adding the back cover copy and the spine is the final step in the cover design process. Here’s a peek at those elements.

So, what do you think? Did you realize all that went into designing a cover? I’m grateful to Kristopher and the team at Waterbrook for “dressing” Across the Blue so beautifully!

I hope you’ll pre-order your copy of Across the Blue so you can have it in your hands the day it releases!

I’m excited to show you the cover of my next English historical novel, Across the Blue and tell you about a special giveaway . . . but before I do, let me tell you a little about the story and characters.

The Heroine – Isabella Grayson, is the eldest daughter of a wealthy, English newspaper magnate. She longs to become a journalist, but her parents don’t approve. They want her to marry well and help them gain a higher standing in society. After she writes an anonymous letter to the editor that impresses her father, her parents reluctantly agree she can write a series of articles about aviation and the race to fly across the English Channel, but only if she promises to accept a marriage proposal within the year.

The Hero – James Drake, is an aspiring aviator, and when he crashes his flying machine at the Grayson’s new estate, Bella is intrigued. James is determined to be the first to fly across the Channel and win the prize Mr. Grayson’s newspaper is offering. He hopes it will help him secure a government contract to build airplanes and redeem a terrible family secret. James wants to win Bella’s heart, but his background and lack of social standing make it unlikely her parents would approve. If he fails to achieve his dream, how will he win the love and respect he is seeking? Will Bella’s faith and support help him find the strength and courage he needs when unexpected events turn their world upside down?

Ready to see the beautiful cover?

I’m thrilled with the design! It perfectly captures Kent, England, and the white Cliffs of Dover, which play a huge part in this story. Bella’s hat is divine and just right for the 1909 time period. And when you see how fragile James’s airplane really is, it makes you appreciate his courage in attempting to be the first to fly across the English Channel!

I can’t wait to share Across the Blue with you! It releases February 20, 2018, and you can preorder a copy from your favorite retailer by following this link.

If you’re on GoodReads I hope you’ll click this link and add it to your “To Read” list!

And now I have a Giveaway for you! Help me spread the word, and you can enter in a drawing for a set of my four English historical novels: The Governess of Highland Hall, The Daughter of Highland Hall, A Refuge at Highland Hall, and Shine Like the Dawn! To enter just share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or other social media sight and then leave a comment below, telling me where you shared it. I’ll draw one winner on Thursday, July 13th. If a US winner is chosen he or she will receive paperback copies, and if an international winner is chosen he or she will receive eBooks. Thanks for helping me spread the word about Across the Blue!

Newsletter Sign Up

This Week’s Focus

It's launch week for Across the Blue my new English historical novel. Click over to the Extra page for info about release events.

What I'm Reading ::

The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz, and I'm listening to the audio version of The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Maryann Schafer and Annie Barrows .

In His Word ::

I'm reading through the One-Year Chronological Bible and we're using Anxious For Nothing by Max Lucado in our Women's Bible study. We're working our way through the Book 2 Corinthians on Sunday mornings at Calvary Chapel Living Hope.